© 2008-2014 Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
Revision 3
10 May 1944:
Senshu. Laid down at Kawasaki Ship Building, Ltd.
5 September 1944:
Launched and numbered CD-112.
24 October 1944:
Completed and registered in the IJN. Attached to Kure Naval District. Assigned to Kure Guard Force.
10 December 1944:
Assigned to the General Escort Command's First Escort Fleet.
19 December 1944:
At 1330, CD 112 departs Moji with light training cruiser KASHII, kaibokan DAITO, UKURU, CD-23, CD-27, CD-51 and escorting convoy HI-85 consisting of tankers SERIA and SHINYU MARUs and convoy MOTA-38 consisting of IJA landing craft depot ships KIBITSU, HYUGA and SHINSHU MARUs and IJA transport AOBASAN MARUs. The convoys hugs the littoral coast on the way south.
25 December 1944:
At 1440, enters Takao port.
26 December 1944:
CD-112 departs Takao with kaibokan NOMI, MIYAKE and CD-138 escorting convoy TAMA-38 consisting of IJA landing craft depot ships KIBITSU, HYUGA and SHINSHU MARUs and transport AOBASAN MARU. Later that day, anchors at Oluanpi, southern Formosa.
27 December 1944:
Early in the morning, departs Oluanpi.
29 December 1944:
At 1900, arrives North San Fernando, Luzon.
30 December 1944
Early in the morning, an air attack takes place. CD-138 is hit by a bomb and damaged. At 0700, AOBASAN MARU is bombed and sunk. AOBASAN MARU was carrying elements of IJA 19th Infantry Division. 21 troops, one Gunner and three crewmen, a total of 25 are KIA. The other merchant ships all suffer various degrees of damage.
1 January 1945:
At 0345, CD-112 departs North San Fernando with kaibokan NOMI, KANJU, MIYAKE and two unidentified warships escorting convoy MATA-40 consisting of IJA landing craft depot ships KIBITSU, HYUGA and SHINSHU MARUs.
3 January 1945:
West of Takao. At 1105 (JST), 50 carrier aircraft attack the ships. SHINSHU MARU is hit by several bombs and explodes. Later that night, SHINSHU MARU's burning wreck is torpedoed and sunk by LtCdr Henry C. Stevenson's (USNA ’30) USS ASPRO (SS-309). 283 soldiers, 33 crewmen and 66 gunners are KIA. KIBITSU MARU is heavily damaged and HYUGA MARU suffers medium damage. CD-112 and MIYAKE both suffer light damage. Five of MIYAKE's crewmen are killed. The surviving ships put into Takao for repairs.
Takao. CD-112 undergoes battle damage repairs.
18 January 1945:
Repairs are completed.
19 January 1945:
At 0600, CD-112 departs Takao for Moji with kaibokan IKUNA, CD-26, CD-39 and escorting convoy TAMO-38 consisting of DAINAN, BINGO, TOYOKAWA, RASHIN, SHINNO and TATSUWA MARUs and NICHIYU MARU No. 2.
22 January 1945:
Early in the morning, convoy MOTA-32 departs Sanmen Bay, China. At 1600, arrives at Namkwan, now Namquan Bay and joins convoy TAMO-38 sheltering there.
23 January 1945:
At 0402, Cdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA ’35) USS BARB discovers the anchored ships and skillfully enters the bay. At 0402, Fluckey fires a full salvo of torpedoes. DAIKYO MARU is carrying 558 troops, 8 landing craft, stores and ammunition. She spectacularly explodes and sinks. 360 troops, 58 crewmen, and 27 gunners are KIA, also lost are six Daihatsu and two shohatsu landing craft.
Minor damage, probably from falling debris, is also inflicted on SAMARANG, AIZAN, DAISHUN and SHUNSHO MARUs and TAMON MARU No. 16. At 0600, the remainder of the convoy departs the anchorage.
28 January 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
26 February 1945:
CD-112 departs Moji with kaibokan CD-17 and CD-76 escorting convo MOTA-39 consisting of MASASHIMA MARU and four unidentified merchant ships.
9 March 1945:
Arrives at Kirun (Keelung).
14 March 1945:
CD-112 departs Keelung with kaibokan HABUSHI and CD-76 escorting convoy TAMO-48 consisting of an unknown number of merchant ships.
22 March 1945:
Arrives at Moji.
20 April 1945:
Reassigned to the Maizuru Naval District.
5 May 1945:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's 105th Escort Squadron
10 May 1945:
Arrives at Ominato.
14 May 1945:
Departs Ominato.
15 May 1945:
Arrives at Ominato.
18 May 1945:
At 1730, SHIRASAKI departs Otaru, Hokkaido for Paramushiro Island, Kuriles in the "Chi" convoy consisting of KASUGASAN, KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs escorted by kaibokan SHIMUSHU and CD-112.
19 May 1945:
At 1709, A Russian merchant ship advises the convoy that a submarine lies ahead. The convoy changes course.
23 May 1945:
Arrives at Paramushiro.
26 May 1945:
At 2000, CD-112 departs Paramushiro, Kuriles for Otaru, Hokkaido with kaibokan CD-47, CD-205, HACHIJO and SHIMUSHU and fleet supply ship SHIRASAKI escorting the “Chi” convoy consisting of KURETAKE, TENRYO and KASUGASAN MARUs.
29 May 1945:
At 2055, LtCdr Hugh H. Lewis' (USNR) USS STERLET (SS-392) torpedoes both KURETAKE and TENRYO MARUs. Soon after being hit TENRYO MARU sinks taking down 57 crewmen, 26 gunners and 773 men of the 23rd Air Defense Battalion. KURETAKE MARU's crew struggles to control flooding.
30 May 1945:
At 0600, flooding overwhelms the crew and KURETAKE MARU sinks. 272 troops and six crewmen are KIA, but SHIMUSHU rescues hundreds of survivors.
31 May 1945:
Arrives at Otaru.
10 July 1945:
Reassigned to the General Escort Command's 105th Escort Squadron.
18 July 1945:
At 0800 (JST), the Japanese Railway Department’s (Tetsudosho) 3,593-ton passenger ferry SOYA MARU departs Wakkanai, Hokkaido for Odomari, S Karafuto (Sakhalin) carrying 600 passengers, including many women and children. The ferry is escorted by an unidentified subchaser leading the way and CD-112 as rear guard.
Off the S coast of Karafuto. At 1110, Cdr (later Rear Admiral/MOH) Eugene B. Fluckey's (USNA ’35) USS BARB (SS-220) sights the small convoy, coming down the coast at 12 knots, Fluckey sets up and, at about noon, fires two torpedoes at CD-112. One torpedo explodes on the nearby shore close to the mouth of the Magotsue River. A second torpedo is seen approaching the flank of SOYA MARU.
CD-112, immediately goes to flank speed and deliberately intercepts the approaching torpedo to save the many helpless women and children on board the ferry from certain death. Seconds later, CD-112 is hit aft below her DC racks, followed by a huge explosion and heavy black smoke. For about 10 minutes, part of her bow remains above water before she sinks by the stern in shallow water at 46-03N, 142-16E (6 km off Magotsue Village). CD-112’s CO, Cdr Ishiwatari Shunichiro and 199 of his brave crew are KIA. He is likely promoted Captain posthumously.
SOYA MARU makes up maximum speed and escapes. Fluckey fires his last three torpedoes at the ferry, but misses. About three hours later the ferry safely arrives at Odomari. After receiving news about the sinking of CD-112, kaibokan SHIMUSHU and two other units race to the scene. SHIMUSHU rescues two surviving sailors, while the other units rescue another two survivors.
15 September 1945:
Removed from the Navy List.
Authors' Note:
Thanks go to Dr. Higuchi Tatsuhiro of Japan and to Mr. Gilbert Casse of France. Thanks also go to Erich Muehlthaler of Germany for info on the sinking of CD-112. Further thanks to Mr. Matthew Jones of Ohio for help in identifying COs.
-Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall
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